99 research outputs found
Non-standard interactions versus non-unitary lepton flavor mixing at a neutrino factory
The impact of heavy mediators on neutrino oscillations is typically described
by non-standard four-fermion interactions (NSIs) or non-unitarity (NU). We
focus on leptonic dimension-six effective operators which do not produce
charged lepton flavor violation. These operators lead to particular
correlations among neutrino production, propagation, and detection non-standard
effects. We point out that these NSIs and NU phenomenologically lead, in fact,
to very similar effects for a neutrino factory, for completely different
fundamental reasons. We discuss how the parameters and probabilities are
related in this case, and compare the sensitivities. We demonstrate that the
NSIs and NU can, in principle, be distinguished for large enough effects at the
example of non-standard effects in the --sector, which basically
corresponds to differentiating between scalars and fermions as heavy mediators
as leading order effect. However, we find that a near detector at superbeams
could provide very synergistic information, since the correlation between
source and matter NSIs is broken for hadronic neutrino production, while NU is
a fundamental effect present at any experiment.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figures. Final version published in JHEP. v3: Typo in Eq.
(27) correcte
Sprouted Innervation into Uterine Transplants Contributes to the Development of Hyperalgesia in a Rat Model of Endometriosis
Endometriosis is an enigmatic painful disorder whose pain symptoms remain difficult to alleviate in large part because the disorder is defined by extrauteral endometrial growths whose contribution to pain is poorly understood. A rat model (ENDO) involves autotransplanting on abdominal arteries uterine segments that grow into vascularized cysts that become innervated with sensory and sympathetic fibers. ENDO rats exhibit vaginal hyperalgesia. We used behavioral, physiological, and immunohistochemical methods to test the hypothesis that cyst innervation contributes to the development of this hyperalgesia after transplant. Rudimentary sensory and sympathetic innervation appeared in the cysts at two weeks, sprouted further and more densely into the cyst wall by four weeks, and matured by six weeks post-transplant. Sensory fibers became abnormally functionally active between two and three weeks post-transplant, remaining active thereafter. Vaginal hyperalgesia became significant between four and five weeks post-transplant, and stabilized after six to eight weeks. Removing cysts before they acquired functional innervation prevented vaginal hyperalgesia from developing, whereas sham cyst removal did not. Thus, abnormally-active innervation of ectopic growths occurs before hyperalgesia develops, supporting the hypothesis. These findings suggest that painful endometriosis can be classified as a mixed inflammatory/neuropathic pain condition, which opens new avenues for pain relief. The findings also have implications beyond endometriosis by suggesting that functionality of any transplanted tissue can be influenced by the innervation it acquires
Hydrokinetic Turbine Effects on Fish Swimming Behaviour
Hydrokinetic turbines, targeting the kinetic energy of fast-flowing currents, are under development with some turbines
already deployed at ocean sites around the world. It remains virtually unknown as to how these technologies affect
fish, and rotor collisions have been postulated as a major concern. In this study the effects of a vertical axis
hydrokinetic rotor with rotational speeds up to 70 rpm were tested on the swimming patterns of naturally occurring
fish in a subtropical tidal channel. Fish movements were recorded with and without the rotor in place. Results showed
that no fish collided with the rotor and only a few specimens passed through rotor blades. Overall, fish reduced their
movements through the area when the rotor was present. This deterrent effect on fish increased with current speed.
Fish that passed the rotor avoided the near-field, about 0.3 m from the rotor for benthic reef fish. Large predatory fish
were particularly cautious of the rotor and never moved closer than 1.7 m in current speeds above 0.6 ms-1. The
effects of the rotor differed among taxa and feeding guilds and it is suggested that fish boldness and body shape
influenced responses. In conclusion, the tested hydrokinetic turbine rotor proved non-hazardous to fish during the
investigated conditions. However, the results indicate that arrays comprising multiple turbines may restrict fish
movements, particularly for large species, with possible effects on habitat connectivity if migration routes are
exploited. Arrays of the investigated turbine type and comparable systems should therefore be designed with gaps of
several metres width to allow large fish to pass through. In combination with further research the insights from this
study can be used for guiding the design of hydrokinetic turbine arrays where needed, so preventing ecological
impacts
Development of a Halotolerant Community in the St. Lucia Estuary (South Africa) during a Hypersaline Phase
Background: The St. Lucia Estuary, Africa’s largest estuarine lake, is currently experiencing unprecedented freshwater deprivation which has resulted in a northward gradient of drought effects, with hypersaline conditions in its northern lakes. Methodology/Principal Findings: This study documents the changes that occurred in the biotic communities at False Bay from May 2010 to June 2011, in order to better understand ecosystem functioning in hypersaline habitats. Few zooplankton taxa were able to withstand the harsh environmental conditions during 2010. These were the flatworm Macrostomum sp., the harpacticoid copepod Cletocamptus confluens, the cyclopoid copepod Apocyclops cf. dengizicus and the ciliate Fabrea cf. salina. In addition to their exceptional salinity tolerance, they were involved in a remarkably simple food web. In June 2009, a bloom of an orange-pigmented cyanobacterium (Cyanothece sp.) was recorded in False Bay and persisted uninterruptedly for 18 months. Stable isotope analysis suggests that this cyanobacterium was the main prey item of F. cf. salina. This ciliate was then consumed by A. cf. dengizicus, which in turn was presumably consumed by flamingos as they flocked in the area when the copepods attained swarming densities. On the shore, cyanobacteria mats contributed to a population explosion of the staphylinid beetle Bledius pilicollis. Although zooplankton disappeared once salinities exceeded 130, many taxa are capable of producing spores or resting cysts to bridge harsh periods. The hypersaline community was disrupted by heavy summer rains in 2011, which alleviated drought conditions and resulted in a sharp increase in zooplankton stock an
Early mobilisation in mechanically ventilated patients:A systematic integrative review of definitions and activities
From PubMed via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2018-10-23, accepted 2018-12-11Publication status: epublishMechanically ventilated patients often develop muscle weakness post-intensive care admission. Current evidence suggests that early mobilisation of these patients can be an effective intervention in improving their outcomes. However, what constitutes early mobilisation in mechanically ventilated patients (EM-MV) remains unclear. We aimed to systematically explore the definitions and activity types of EM-MV in the literature. Whittemore and Knafl's framework guided this review. CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ASSIA, and Cochrane Library were searched to capture studies from 2000 to 2018, combined with hand search of grey literature and reference lists of included studies. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tools were used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. Data extraction and quality assessment of studies were performed independently by each reviewer before coming together in sub-groups for discussion and agreement. An inductive and data-driven thematic analysis was undertaken on verbatim extracts of EM-MV definitions and activities in included studies. Seventy-six studies were included from which four major themes were inferred: (1) , (2) , (3) and (4) . The first theme indicates that EM-MV is either not fully defined in studies or when a definition is provided this is not standardised across studies. The remaining themes reflect the diversity of EM-MV activities which depends on patients' characteristics and ICU settings; the negotiated decision-making process between patients and staff; and their interdependent relationship during the implementation. This review highlights the absence of an agreed definition and on what constitutes early mobilisation in mechanically ventilated patients. To advance research and practice an agreed and shared definition is a pre-requisite
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